Laneway Houses / Habitations accessibles par la ruelle

The “Make Way for Laneway” report discusses laneway houses and other small-scale housing as options, such as second suites and infill townhouses, as models to increase affordable housing and population density while preserving the character and architecture of mature neighbourhoods.

Laneway houses, like second suites, can provide housing in neighbourhoods that are walkable, close to shopping, community services and public transit. These self-contained units include their own kitchen, bathroom and sleeping areas. Laneway houses are separate one or two storey structures with their own entrance which fronts onto a laneway and has separate service connections for water, electricity and sewage.

The barriers which prevent the development of laneway houses include:

Access issues such as: access routes that are at least six meters wide for waste collection and emergency vehicles; access for fire department equipment by street, private roadway or yard; and ensuring access accounts for the weight of fire fighting equipment, location of fire hydrants, and the turning and parking requirements for emergency vehicles;

Municipal zoning bylaws which do not permit detached dwellings separate from the primary residence on a single lot;

Service connections for sewage, electricity and water are typically located on the main street and connecting to these services could be costly; and

Privacy for neighbours since laneway houses, garages or garden dwellings tend to be closer than usual to neighbouring properties, privacy may be a concern.

Laneway houses are common in Vancouver where a zoning bylaw amendment allows them behind most single detached homes. There are several laneway houses in Toronto; however permission is granted on a case-by-case basis.

The report is an initiative of the GTA Housing Action Lab, a cross-sector collaboration working to deliver scalable solutions to the issues of housing affordability and sustainability, and was sponsored by the Ontario Home Builders Association. You will find the report online at: https://www.pembina.org/reports/mwfl-report-final.pdf